Altaic Union
The Altaic Union (Mongolian: Алтай Холбоо—Altai Kholboo) is a sovereign state in Central Asia. Geography The Altaic Union is a fragmented state in two main masses: Dzungaro-Mongol-Baikal Region, and the Kalmyk Region. They are to be connected by the Dzungar-Kalmyk bullet train, which should finish construction in late 2011 with aid from Japan, China, Spain, Russia, and Vietnam, who see it as a worthwhile investment. The whole of the country is either steppe or mountains, inhabited by nomadic herders. The Altai Mountains in Dzungaria give the Union its name. To the south, the massive Gobi Desert is sparsely populated. The deepest freshwater lake in the world, Lake Baikal, lies in Buryatia, in the north of the region. Most of Buryatia's population lives along this lake. Dzungaria has two principal lakes: Uvs Nuur and Khövsgöl Nuur. Uvs Nuur is highly saline and mostly shallow. Khövsgol Nuur, on the other hand, is freshwater and makes up for most of Mongolia's and Dzungaria's water supply. Kalmykia is dislocated from the rest of the country by about two thousand miles. However, the geography remains similar. Kalmykia is mostly steppe, and has a small coast along the Caspian Sea. The large Kuma River in the south forms a natural border with the Russian Republic of Dagestan. Demographics The Altaic Union is split into eighteen banners, but is often split by foreigners into the regions of Dzungaria, Mongolia, Tuva, Buraytia, and Kalmykia. The Altaic Union is a highly diverse country. The predominant ethnic group is Khalkh Mongol, in Mongolia and Dzungaria. Other highly influential ethnic groups include the Tuvans, Buryats, Kalmyks, Russians. Smaller ethnic groups and foreigners account for a small percentage of the population. According to a recent poll, 83% of Altaics adhere all or in part to the national religion of Tibetan Buddhism. About 14% claim to follow Tengriist beliefs, with 5% claiming to follow beliefs from both religions. Christians make up most of the rest of the population. The five main languages spoken are Buryat, Kalmyk, Tuvan, Khalkh Mongolian, and Russian. Except for Russian, all of the languages are considered major dialects of Mongolian. There is also a slight mutual intelligibility between the languages. The speakers of Khalkh Mongolian are growing due to government programs, and use of it in the classroom. Government The Altaic Union is a unitary parliamentary republic with a bicameral legislature. It is ruled by a khaan, who coordinates the legislative body but holds only coercive power. The khaan is appointed by unified vote of the two parliamentary houses. The two houses are the Senate and National Assembly, which together make up the Kurultai. Although the two houses usually vote in a unified manner, they often vote separately on cultural, social, and economic matters. The National Assembly is the lower house, where sum (district) each elects a representative. The upper house, the Senate, features one member per 100,000 population, five members appointed by the khaan with approval of the National Assembly, five members of the Buddhist clergy, and the chief Tengriist shaman. All government workers have six-year terms but can be voted out at any time or the parliament dissolved at request of the khaan. The khaan is allowed to suggest bills and carry out meetings at the advice of the rest of the executive branch, who make up the advisory council. The legislative branch is held separately and holds the power of judicial review at any time, of any action. History Early History Mongolia, since prehistoric times, has been inhabited by nomads who, from time to time, formed great confederations that rose to prominence. The first of these, the Xiongnu, were brought together to form a confederation by Modu Shanyu in 209 BC. Soon they emerged as the greatest threat to the Qin Dynasty, forcing the latter to construct the Great Wall of China, itself being guarded by up to almost 300,000 soldiers during marshal Meng Tian's tenure, as a means of defense against the destructive Xiongnu raids. After the decline of the Xiongnu, the Rouran, a close relative of the Mongols, came to power before being defeated by the Göktürks, who then dominated Mongolia for centuries. During the 7th and 8th centuries, they were succeeded by Uyghurs and then by the Khitans and Jurchens. By the 10th century, the country was divided into numerous tribes linked through transient alliances and involved in the old patterns of internal strife. Mongol Empire and Qing Rule In the chaos of the late 12th century, a chieftain named Temüjin finally succeeded in uniting the Mongol tribes between Manchuria and the Altai Mountains. In 1206, he took the title Genghis Khan, and waged a series of military campaigns - renowned for their brutality and ferocity - sweeping through much of Asia, and forming the Mongol Empire, the largest contiguous land empire in world history. Under his successors it stretched from present-day Poland in the west to Korea in the east, and from Siberia in the north to the Gulf of Oman and Vietnam in the south, covering some 33,000,000 square kilometres (13,000,000 sq mi), (22% of Earth's total land area) and having a population of over 100 million people. After Genghis Khan's death, the empire was subdivided into four kingdoms or Khanates which eventually became quasi-independent after Möngke's death in 1259. One of the khanates, the "Great Khaanate", consisting of the Mongol homeland and China, became the Yuan Dynasty under Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan. He set up his capital in present day Beijing but after more than a century of power, the Yuan was replaced by the Ming Dynasty in 1368, with the Mongol court fleeing to the north. The next centuries were marked by violent power struggles between various factions, notably the Genghisids and the non-Genghisid Oirads and numerous Chinese invasions (like the five expeditions led by the Yongle Emperor). he last Mongol Khan was Ligden Khan in the early 17th century. He got into conflicts with the Manchu over the looting of Chinese cities, and managed to alienate most Mongol tribes. He died in 1634 on his way to Tibet, in an attempt to evade the Manchu and destroy the Yellow Hat sect of Buddhism. By 1636, most Inner Mongolian tribes had submitted to the Manchu. The Khalkha eventually submitted to the Qing in 1691, thus bringing all but the west of today's Mongolia under Beijing's rule. After several wars, the Dzungars were virtually annihilated in 1757–58. Modern Mongolia With the fall of the Qing Dynasty, Mongolia under the Bogd Khaan declared independence in 1911. However, the equally newly established Republic of China claimed Mongolia as part of its own territory. The area controlled by the Bogd Khaan was approximately that of the former Outer Mongolia. The 49 hoshuns of Inner Mongolia as well as the Mongolians of the Alashan and Qinghai regions expressed their willingness to join the new country, but to no avail. In 1919, after the October Revolution in Russia, Chinese troops led by Xu Shuzheng occupied Mongolia. In 1924, after the death of the religious leader and king Bogd Khan, a Mongolian People's Republic was proclaimed with support from the Soviet Union. In 1928, Khorloogiin Choibalsan rose to power. He instituted collectivisation of livestock, the destruction of Buddhist monasteries and the Mongolia's enemies of the people persecution resulting in the murder of monks and other people. The introduction of perestroika and glasnost in the USSR by Mikhail Gorbachev strongly influenced Mongolian politics leading to the peaceful Democratic Revolution and the introduction of a multi-party system and market economy. A new constitution was introduced in 1992, and the "People's Republic" was dropped from the country's name. The transition to market economy was often rocky, the early 1990s saw high inflation and food shortages. The first election wins for non-communist parties came in 1993 (presidential elections) and 1996 (parliamentary elections). Altaic Union The Altaic Union was formed as a result of a treaty, resolving border disagreements between Mongolia and Russia. International court ruled that Tuva and Buryatia could vote to unify with Mongolia. Kalmykia also ratified the agreement. However, Russia refused to allow territory to secede. Allies of Mongolia attacked Russia, leading to what was known as the Moscovian Conflict. In the first few months, speakers of Altaic languages, from all over the world made their way to the new nation. Main sources of immigration were Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and China. Expansion The Altai Republic of Russia has expressed willingness to join the union. Turkmenistan has also voiced such beliefs, but Mongol authorities claim that the relatively large population would interfere with the democratic system. In addition, Turkmenistan's Muslim population would detract from traditional Mongol culture. Some residents of the Republic of Turkey have shown interest, but the population of Turkey would literally swallow up the rest of the Union. In addition, Turkey's large Muslim population and secular government would make a difficult transition into the union. Foreign Relations Category:Altaic Union